A Rose and a Raven
by Gadflow
Summary: Following the death of Taiyang, Summer Rose does her best to continue raising her two children without him. However, the sudden return of her old partner, Raven Branwen, sees a sudden shift in both Summer's home and love life.
1. Shattered

AN: So, this was going to be for a prompt which never happened. So I'm going to see if I can actually write a short-ish story on the side.

Song Theme:

Summer: God Knows (English Variant) performed by AmaLee

RWBY

Summer bit back a curse as the plate slipped from her fingers and shattered on the kitchen floor. Kneeling down she began to pick up the pieces, depositing them in the waste bin before she noticed a pair of lilac eyes peering around one of the cupboards.

"You're hurt, Mom." Before Summer could reply Yang was gone in a flash of blonde hair, her feet pattering in the distance.

Glancing down Summer was surprised to see a trail of blood winding down her arm, and turning her hand over she discovered a gash that went from one side of her palm to the other, "I didn't even feel it."

Though she hadn't felt much of anything since Tai had passed.

Tiny footsteps signalled the return of Yang, though this time she was accompanied by her younger sister. Yang set the kit down next to her, and gestured for Summer's hand which was granted with a small smile forming on the older woman's lips.

"Nurse Ruby, peroxide." A few beats passed as the smaller girl starred at the box in confusion before Yang added, "The brown bottle, Rubes."

Ruby dutifully supplied the bottle, as Yang swiped a cotton swab which she used to dab around the cut, "Bandages, Ruby."

This one Ruby had no trouble with, though Summer was still sad to see that Ruby still wasn't speaking. Sometime between them finding out that Tai was gone, and shortly before they had placed his marker down by the cove it had sunk in for Ruby that he wasn't coming back. Summer had been no stranger to tragedy when she was younger, but she had hoped to spare her children the same fate.

It tore her apart to know that she had failed so miserably at that task.

Yang finished tightening the bandage, and securely clipped it together before she turned to Ruby, "Think you can be a big girl and put it back where it goes?"

Ruby's silent response was a determined grin as she quickly packed up the kit and headed off down the hallway leaving Summer and her oldest child alone. Summer was about to ask Yang what was wrong when the girl threw herself around Summer, the girl's body trembling from her sobs, "You need to be more careful, Momma, no more letting yourself get hurt."

Summer could only wrap her hands tightly around Yang, who was being forced to grow up far too fast for her liking, "I promise, I'll be extra careful from now on."

RWBY

It was only a few days after what Summer had termed in her head the 'plate incident' that she contacted Signal Academy, inquiring if she would be able to take on the teaching position that they had been considering granting to Tai.

The school's headmaster had been ecstatic at her offer, which was understandable as Summer had by far been the most prolific of her teammates following their graduation, as he had never imagined she would have been happy to accept a teaching position.

Then again neither had she, but life had a way of changing one's perspectives. That, and Summer would do anything for her girls, anything.

As soon as that was confirmed, she had removed herself form the active roster of hunters. The job at Signal would pay for their living easily, and the fact that Signal would enroll both Yang and Ruby into their programs immediately instead of waiting for the next school year meant that she would always be close to the girls just in case.

Glancing into the living room she peeked into the room, Yang was teaching Ruby how to play 'Remnant' her favorite board game. The deeper tactics were somewhat lost on the younger girl, but from the sheer look of concentration on her face it was obvious that she wasn't letting that slow her down.

A knock on the door startled Summer from her reverie, and she felt a sudden unease at the back of her mind. A feeling she had long ago learned to trust, which was why she called out to Yang who had been getting up to answer the door, "Go back to your game, sweetheart, I'll get the door."

As she traversed her way down the hall of their cozy home she grabbed both of her revolvers, Wither and Decay, from their storage space, slipping them into the holsters on her sides. Keeping one hand on Whither, she reached out and opened the door with the other. Finding herself confronted with the unmistakable form of her raven haired partner Summer could only stare dumbstruck for several moments.

"Raven?"

The other woman's head shifted slightly, and her voice, the same as it had been eight years ago when she last heard it, came out somewhat muffled thanks to the mask, "I heard about Tai-"

Whatever else she might have said was lost as Summer opened fire, her cloak billowing from the force of the dust enhanced rounds she was firing.

Raven of course had intercepted the projectiles flying towards her, the blade in her hands carving a delicate dance of precision as she both defended herself and worked to put distance between herself and Summer.

The former STRQ leader though had noticed something crucial, Raven was fighting with her left hand which meant she must have hurt her right arm prior to arriving here.

A click signified that her cylinder was dry, and so Summer advanced as her she reached into one of the pockets sewn into her cloak to pull out a spare. Raven in the meantime had used the delay to infuse her blade with a coating of fire dust, granting the weapon an almost blood red blade along with other more flammable capabilities.

"Summer, we can talk about this."

Silver eyes narrowed at that statement, "You had eight years to talk, Raven, eight years! I had to step up to clean up the mess you left behind, just like when we were in Beacon! Tai was shattered, Yang had no one!" Her hands trembled with rage as she starred down her former best friend, "You don't get to just show up one day and expect to be welcomed. This is our home, not yours!"

With a scream that was nearly primal Summer seemed to blur and multiply, as suddenly Raven found herself being assaulted from all directions by the Summer clones that faded into nothingness the moment her sword, or the trail of flame it left in its wake, touched them.

That ended abruptly though, as the real Summer blocked the blade from her position in Raven's compromised zone of defence. Bringing her pistol to bear Summer aimed at point blank range, and shifted her finger back to pull Whither's secondary trigger causing the highly concentrated dust cartridge in the gun's second barrel to fire.

The blast blew both women apart, and as Summer scrambled to her feet she found herself confronted with an unmasked Raven.

What she hadn't expected though, were the tears that were running down the crimson eyed woman's face.

Letting Whither fall to the grass below she made her way to her sobbing teammate, "Raven," Summer's voice was barely a whisper but it only seemed to make the woman cry harder. Letting compassion overrule both her anger and her caution, Summer fell to her knees as wrapped her arms around the taller woman, "Its okay, I'm here."

Raven was motionless for a few moments before her hands wrapped around Summer, so tightly that it felt like the normally taciturn woman thought Summer might disappear if she let go. Raven buried her face into Summer's shoulder, though her next statement was still clear enough to hear, "They were supposed to be safe."

STRQ's former leader had a feeling about who Raven was talking about, but she needed answers as to what had happened to her old teammate, "Who, Raven? Tai and Yang?"

No answer came right away, instead Raven merely nodded into her shoulder, but soon more words emerged from her, "Ozpin gave me a mission, it was important, but it meant that I would have to leave them behind." Raven's grip seemed to tighten further, "Summer, I can't remember the last six years, the last thing I recall was getting on a boat in Vacuo and that's it. Nothing else but bits and pieces."

Summer nodded, and a sigh escaped her lips as her inner Mom/Team leader kicked in, "Let's get you inside, you look exhausted."

As she helped Raven to her feet she noticed two pairs of eyes suddenly blink away in the windows of the house, though honestly she was just thankful that they hadn't come outside during the fight.

Shifting more of Raven's weight on to her, Summer half walked, half dragged, the other woman through the front door. Before depositing her on top of her bed, "I'll see about getting a guest bedroom setup for you if you stay, but for now just try and get some rest, Amsel."

A small smile played on Raven's lips at the old nickname her partner had given her, but she was only able to murmur out a quiet, "Thank you, Summer," before the bed lulled her to sleep.

Summer didn't say anything as she softly made her way out of the room, and as she closed her room's door shut she could feel the presence of her blonde daughter behind her.

"Mom, who was that and why were you fighting?" A firm, but small, hand tugged on Summer's own, "You promised that you wouldn't do anything dangerous!"

A ragged sigh escaped the older woman's lips, but she kept her composure as she took Yang's hand into her own, "I'll explain everything in a moment, dear." Gently pulling the smaller girl away from her room Summer led the pair into the small living room. Yang plopped down on to the couch while Summer perched on the edge of one of the chairs, the girl's board game sitting between them after it had been abandoned by the children, "Yang, this is going to be hard for you to hear."

Lilac eyes blinked in confusion as Summer continued, "That woman, Raven, she was on my team back in Beacon like your Father and Uncle Qrow." Summer's fingers intertwined themselves as she tried to hide her panicking emotions, worry bubbling inside of her about what would happen if Yang blamed her for not telling her about Raven, "Raven and your Father were romantically together, until Raven just disappeared one day. Tai was devastated, and he needed help pulling his life back together, so I came out to Patch to help him."

"And to help raise their child." It took a few moments for understanding to dawn upon Yang's face, and it broke Summer's heart to see the already hurt girl suddenly in more turmoil.

"You're not my Mom?"

Summer had closed the gap between them in seconds, board game pieces scattering in her wake as she swept the girl into a tight embrace, "Of course I'm your Mom, darling, just because I didn't give birth to you doesn't make you any less my daughter." Summer's grip tightened as words spilled out of her, "I, I never thought I would have a family, Yang. I grew up alone in Mantle, and then my team split up when we graduated, but the moment I held you in my arms I knew that I would do anything to make sure you never felt alone."

Yang sniffled into her Mother's shoulder, before shakily asking, "Why did she leave?"

It was a question that Summer had asked herself time and time again, why did her partner leave? That thought though was brushed aside as a frown tugged at Summer's lips at a sudden realization, "Where's your sister?"

RWBY

Raven had collapsed on to Summer's bed, and suddenly surrounded by the familiar lavender scent of her old partner she could feel her tears only increasing. She could still remember that day when she told Summer that she and Tai were moving to Patch, at how devastated it had left her leader, her partner.

Summer had come to view her team as her family, the first family she had ever really gotten a chance to have, and it had all fallen apart so fast that it had taken her over a year to pull herself back together.

But that was Summer, unlike everyone else she always pulled herself back together.

It was one of the things Raven had always loved about her, a lot of things actually. Until she left Summer's heart shattered on a Beacon rooftop after a courageous confession from the smaller woman.

That though was what Raven did, she was devastation in human form, an omen of ill fortune, destroyer of lives.

She shouldn't have come here, her very presence was likely drawing the Grimm as she lay on this bed feeling sorry for herself.

A sudden shift on the bed caused Raven to realize that a small red cloaked figure was starring intently at her, the child was undeniably Summer's as a pair of eyes identical to that of the older woman gazed at Raven. Refusing so show weakness in front of a child Raven turned her head away, but a small voice halted her movement, "Mommy says that crying just shows how much we care."

A flash of a younger Summer's tears falling one autumn evening went through Raven's mind, causing Raven to stare at the child before her brain spat out the most obvious statement in it, "You have silver eyes."

She knew in her heart that that was important, but she couldn't remember how.

The girl shot her a look that just screamed 'duh,' which elicited an unbidden smile from the older woman. That smile was short lived as she noticed the child's trembling hands, "Are you all right, child?"

The girls' eyes glistened with tears that began to fall, as she wrapped her arms, and red cloak, tightly around herself, "Dad's gone."

Raven had never been good at comforting, anyone, but for Summer's child she found herself making the attempt. Shifting upwards she wrapped her far larger form around the girl, who, surprisingly, latched on to her like a drowning man trying to save himself.

"I know it is hard right now, but try to remember the good times. I know that Tai wouldn't want people being sad at his memory, he'd want everyone to remember the times the best moments." Shifting her arms from a less awkward angle to one that was far more natural, she quietly asked the small girl in her arms, "Can you do that for me, child?"

"I can try."

"Good, girl." Before anything further could be said the door burst open, revealing an irate Summer whose eyes burned like two pools of quicksilver. Though a second glance revealed an equally unhappy Yang standing just behind her partner.

"Ruby Rose! What do you think you are doing!"

The girl of course didn't realize why her Mother was angry, and so, like any young child, answered in the simplest manner, "She looked sad, Mommy, and you said no one should be alone and sad."

Summer just blinked at the response, her face flickering between anger, amusement, and shock, "You're talking." That of course just earned a roll of the smaller girl's silver eyes, "Duh, how else would I cheer her up?"

Summer just nodded at Ruby's answer, though Raven could see tears glistening in her partner's eyes, "Ruby, lets get you ready for bed. I think you've had quite enough excitement today."

Scooping the small child up Summer began to leave the room, but she could clearly hear Ruby's animated chatter, "Her eyes are red, really red, does that mean she's been crying a lot a lot, Mommy? Because my eyes were a little red earlier-" the conversation faded into the distance, leaving Raven alone with her biological daughter.

Lilac eyes burned into hers, though Raven swore she could see traces of crimson in those orbs, "You're not my Mother, so if you came to try and take me away forget about it."

"Yang, I-" but the blonde had already stomped away, leaving Raven alone in the room waiting on Summer's return.

It turned out that she wasn't going to wait for long, as Summer reappeared soon after she had left, "Yang's helping Ruby to bed, guess she decided that we need to talk."

Raven glanced down at the floor, "I'll leave, Summer. I don't even know why I came, I'll just wreck things even further like I always do."

Summer ignored her and just slammed a first air kit down between them, and with an annoyed gesture motioned for Raven to disrobe. When Raven didn't' immediately comply, a pair of silver eyes rolled in annoyance, "Raven you can either strip, or I'll do it for you."

Raven growled at that, but began to comply. Though she didn't miss the muttered, "Not like I haven't seen it all before," comment from her partner.

A gasp emerged from the shorter woman, as Raven arm was a mess of blood and gashes, "Raven, how did this happen?"

Black hair shifted as she could only shake her head, "I don't know, I just remember feeling that something terrible had happened and next thing I know I found myself on the outskirts of Vacuo territory."

Summer let out an annoyed huff as she blew an errant strand of hair away as she cleaned the wounds, "That still doesn't explain what happened here."

Raven grew quiet as she starred out the window, before Summer's free hand roughly grasped the other woman's jaw forcing her to look into those silver eyes that always saw too much, "Raven, what did you do." The command was softly spoken, but it was unmistakably a command not a request.

Crimson eyes shifted downwards, "I, I had been travelling for a few days, mostly flying but sometimes by foot. I came across one of the small village's that mark Vale territory, they even had a local tower that I managed to sync my scroll up with."

Realization dawned upon Summer, "You found out about Tai."

A small nod was the only response she got for a while, until Raven's whisper quiet response came to her, "I just walked into the forest, didn't even take my weapons, just kept walking." Summer could practically hear the bones popping as Raven clenched her fists into balls, "A pack of Beowolves found me, but their Alpha was older and had apparently developed a sadistic streak."

"It toyed with me, refused to end the fight just kept goading me on." A sob erupted from the dark haired woman's throat, "Then I thought of you, and Yang. I know that I had no right to, but it made me want to live." Lifting her wounded arm slightly for illustration, "I morphed, but he caught my wing with his claws. Barely got far enough a way that I made it back to the village to get my gear."

Summer nodded, absentmindedly asking, "You took care of the Grimm, right?"

"Of course."

Satisfied that her handiwork was done Summer took a step back, "Alright, that should suffice until we can get you to see an actual doctor." She slipped over to the wardrobe nearby, and pulled out a pair of pyjamas that she handed to the taller woman, "They might be a little small, but you aren't sleeping in my bed in those clothes."

Raven tried to stutter out an objection, but she was just answered with a roll of silver eyes, "The couch isn't big enough for me, let alone you. We're both adults, Raven, surely we can share a bed this size without it being awkward."

"I'm not the one that's handsy," the comment slipped out of Raven's mouth without thought, but the flush of red that consumed Summer's face was simply priceless.

"That was one time! It's not my fault that they only gave us two beds at the start of third year." The memory caused them both to giggle slightly, Qrow had slept in the tub for three days until they had managed to get their missing furniture back.

The pair suddenly became somber as they thought of Tai's offer to Qrow to share the bed, and with the good mood gone they both went about their nightly rituals.

Soon they were both in bed, and Raven was as far to the edge as she could be without falling off, "Are you sure this is okay, Summer?"

She nearly fell off the bed when her partner's hand grasped her own, "Raven, I, I just need someone to be here for me right now. I can't burden the girl's, but it feels like I'm drowning and no one is there to help."

Obeying the light tugging of the other woman Raven edged closer, her voice a whisper in the night, "What do you need, Summer?"

Silver eyes glimmered in the dim room, "Just, be my partner like the old days."

Resolutely wrapping one arm around her partner, Raven pushed herself close enough that Summer was able to bury her face into the raven haired beauty's shoulder. Soon enough Summer's body began to shake as she began the process of physically excising her emotions, and as Raven did her level best to support her partner she promised both of them something.

She wouldn't make the same mistakes as she had in Beacon.

RWBY

AN: Well, that's the first chapter done. Hope everyone who got to this point enjoyed it.

Also to my S&S readers, I promise there is an update coming next week at the latest.


	2. Small Steps

AN: Well, this story got popular surprisingly fast.

Song Themes:

Summer X Raven: Summertime Sadness cover by Within Temptation

Aima Arche: Walking on Water performed by Jorn and Trond Holter

RWBY

Summer quietly shut the bedroom door behind her, leaving Raven still slumbering on the bed. The woman had been up late chasing memories in her own mind, and so Summer felt it would be for the best to let her sleep in.

Especially since today was Summer's, and the girls', first day at Signal.

She smiled as Ruby bounded up to her, the girl's red cloak trailing behind her slightly though Summer was positive she would grow into it soon. Yang, never a morning person, was stumbling along behind her younger sister, causing a smirk to form on Summer's lips as she pressed a kiss on to both her girls' foreheads before giving Yang a slight bump, "Morning, sleepyhead."

Yang just made a grunt of acknowledgement as she sat down at the table, quickly attacking her breakfast. Ruby practically bounced into her seat as well before guzzling her milk, while Summer used the distraction to slip into the kitchen. Reaching into the fridge she pulled out the small container she kept hidden from Ruby, lest the girl eat them all, and she let out a contended hum as she bit down into one of the first strawberries of the season.

Slipping it back into the fridge she poked her head out of the kitchen, "When you're done girls just leave the dishes in the sink. Raven can deal with them when she wakes up."

She didn't miss Yang's scowl, but Summer could only hope that eventually the chasm between the two of them would close. Ruby though had perked up at the mention of the other adult in the household, "She's not coming to school with us?"

That caused a light laugh to emerge from the silver eyed woman, "No, Ruby, Raven won't be coming to signal with us. Now you two go and grab your schoolbags and we'll head out."

Nodding both girls began to dash off, only for Summer to call after them, "No running in the house you two!"

Moving to the closet she reached for her cloak and swung the white material about her shoulders, she had once worn a far heavier cloak which was still packed away upstairs with other mementos of her childhood in Mantle. Life in that city had been rough, between dodging Atlas patrols looking for skilled 'volunteers' and surviving in a city that was falling from it's former loftiness with little grace, but it had forged her into what she was.

She didn't blame the people of Atlas like so many residents of the city of Mantle, in fact if it wasn't for a young cadet named James who had let her slip on to a transport bound for Vale she never would have been able to attend Beacon.

"Mom, we're ready." Yang's voice stirred her from her memories, and she smiled at her blonde daughter, "Alright then, lets head out."

Grabbing her weapons on the way out the trio made their way into the nearby that bore the same name as the island, where they joined a small group of teachers and students milling about the town's solitary airpad.

Signal was located further inland, done so that training could be done without drawing Grimm towards the main settlement. Patch didn't see many Grimm incursions, and given the large number of hunters who called the island home they were swiftly dealt with but it still happened from time to time.

Still, Patch was safer than most places, and given that much of the land was reserved for hunter's it was often viewed as a place for the Vale tradition of hunters and huntresses to be passed on to the next generation in relative safety.

Ruby and Yang had both slipped off, Yang chatting with some kids she had known from the area, while Ruby was watching intently as several children played a type of card game involving Grimm.

Summer wondered if she had made a mistake insisting that she and Tai homeschool the children for their first few years, she knew Yang was friendly with other kids but she didn't have many friends.

"Right, first day of school for you three, isn't it?"

Summer felt a spike of rage at Qrow's voice, and her head snapped towards him while her silver eyes narrowed in anger, "What are you doing here, Qrow?"

The man just gave her a smirk, which only made her want to punch him more, "I work here too, or did you forget that?" Pulling out a flask the man took a swig, before offering it forward, "Calm your nerves, Sum, you seem a bit tense."

Scowling she pushed the proferred item away, "Don't you think that is a little inappropriate to be doing in front of children?"

A shrug preceded the answer, "What? I'm not on the clock yet."

Any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of the transport, but as she began to head towards it she felt a hand grasp on to her forearm. Spinning around she found, as expected, that Qrow had grabbed her, but an unusually serious expression was on his face, "Sum, I know that things aren't good between us. But I need to know something, and I need you to trust me on this."

Wrenching her arm away Summer snarled in response, "You mean like I trusted you to keep Tai safe?" A flash grief flickered over the scythe wielder feature's, but he pressed forward regardless, "Summer, I need to know if Raven is back? I heard some rumors in town that you brought someone to see the doc who looked like her, so is it true?"

A frown tugged at Summer's features, but she could also see that Qrow was truly worried about this.

"Yes, she's back home resting," A call from ship for final boarding drew her attention, and as she turned back to finish her statement she found herself alone on the pad.

RWBY

" _So Tai mentioned that he's going to move back to Patch once we've graduated, I guess this means that it will be just the two of us then." The shorter woman walking just in front of Raven hinted over her shoulder, eyes shining with hope, Summer had been trying for weeks to get Raven to confirm that she was going to be sticking with her partner after graduation._

 _Raven though couldn't tell her that, because it would be a lie._

 _She hadn't meant to fall for her partner, in fact she had been with Summer for far less time than she had technically been with Tai in their on again off again relationship._

 _Yet, the resilient silver eyed warrior had managed to find a space in her heart that no one else had managed to._

 _And it was killing her inside that she knew she was about to break Summer's heart, "I'm going with him, Summer."_

 _Summer came to a sudden halt, her cloak swaying slightly before coming to a complete halt around her form, "What?"_

" _I'm going with Tai, to Patch. He thinks in a couple of years that he can get a job at signal and we can make by with doing some missions from time to time."_

 _Summer didn't respond, instead she just began to walk forward as though nothing had happened. Raven though knew Summer well enough that she could tell that her partner was falling apart, she was just too proud to let it show._

 _Raven managed to catch the edge of Summer's hand in her cloak, only to have the other woman tear it away allowing her to see the tears already spilling from those luminescent eyes, "Summer, I, I'm sorry."_

 _A harsh laugh erupted from her leader, "Sorry? Your sorry?" Summer just shook her head as she took a few steps back, "No, I'm sorry, Raven. Sorry that I didn't listen to Qrow when he said you would do this, that you were just using me."_

" _I wasn't using you!" Raven's eyes practically glowed in the daylight, as her rage synergized with her semblance._

 _A small, sad, smile formed on Summer's face, "It's fine, Raven, I'm used to it by now. I don't know why I thought that things would be different in Vale compared to Mantle." The smaller woman gave an almost defeated shrug, "I guess I just hoped that someone could love me the same way I love them."_

 _With that Summer spun around, her cloak billowing behind her as she walked away. The silver eyed woman unable to hear Raven's confession as it escaped her lips, "I'm pregnant."_

Raven jerked out of bed, and quickly registered that Summer must have risen some time ago as her side of the bed was now cold.

Things had settled into a somewhat normal, though uncomfortable, routine in the household. Yang was still not speaking to Raven, though Ruby more than made up for that and seemed to enjoy regaling the crimson eyed woman with stories.

Raven and Summer had slept in the same room for the past week, though that had been after the dark-haired woman had found out that the only other room, aside from the girl's, had been Tai's room.

Summer had confessed that she hadn't yet been able to bring herself to even open the door, let alone empty it out.

Finding out that piece of information had led to Raven finally asking the question of how Ruby came to be.

Summer had refused to look at her as she recounted the story, merely looking forward at nothing as she sat on the edge of the bed her cloak hiding everything but her moving lips, "Tai. He was," an angry sigh emerged from the smaller woman, "Raven, he was devastated when you disappeared."

While Raven couldn't see Summer's hands she could hear the joints popping as her fists tightened from anger, "Yang needed someone to care for her, and Tai needed a chance to get his life back together." Her voice dropped to a near whisper, "And I needed a less destructive distraction from what you had done to me."

Raven almost reached a hand out to comfort her partner, but Summer's subtle shifting away from her stopped the action before it started.

"Tai, he started to heal, and I was keeping myself occupied. I never expected I would ever be a mother, yet alone a mother to your child, but the moment I held Yang I knew that I would do anything for that girl." Summer had turned to face the other woman, fury dancing in her eyes, "And I was so angry at you, furious for leaving her, leaving them, especially after what you had done to me!" the last of it escaped from the hooded woman in a hiss before she seemed to deflate.

"One night Yang was at another couple's home for the night, she had just been going over for a playdate but there had been a Grimm sighting and Tai and I both had to go out to secure the town." A mirthless chuckle escaped from Summer, "So Tai decided that we should get wasted, 'not like we'll have many chances after this' had been his reasoning."

Tears trailed from those glowing eyes as Summer kept pushing forward with her story, "We didn't have much, just enough that the hurt of you leaving had resurfaced for both of us." The cloaked woman ran one of her hands through her hair, something she had always done when she was stressed, "He kept going on about how you left him, and I just snapped."

Raven's eyes had dropped to the floor as she realized what had transpired, "You told him about us?"

"More shouted it, but yes." A labored sigh emerged from Summer, "I just wanted him to realize that he wasn't the only one that was abandoned by you."

"So that was how the two of you got together?"

A sudden burst of laughter escaped from Summer's lips, and it was a sound that Raven had forgotten how much she enjoyed hearing, "Together? No, we weren't together." She leaned back on the bed some more before continuing, "The four of you were the closest I thing I had to family. That night though, well it was about two people who were hurting finding some solace together." Pale hands traced a path down to her stomach as a light smile formed on Summer's lips, "And I could never regret my Ruby."

That had been two days ago, and Raven had spent most of the time since then either doing busywork or trying to chase the fragments of memories that flitted in her mind.

Deciding that she had wasted enough time in bed she pushed herself to her feet, and pulled on a pair of loose workout pants and a light sweater from the closet. Patch wasn't cold exactly, but it seemed that wherever she had been had been rather warm as her body was no used to the middling temperatures. Her feet took her through the house, which given that it was empty meant Summer and the girls were already at Signal.

"I must have slept in."

"Seems that way, Sis."

Her body reacted before her mind registered the words, and Qrow found himself thrown through the living room table before he could react. Raven's fist pausing only inches from his face as she brought herself back under control.

"I don't believe that Miss Rose would appreciate you smashing her furniture, Raven."

Glancing towards the kitchen she could see Ozpin, and what looked to be Glynda as well, "What are all of you doing here?"

Qrow gave a pained laugh at that, "Just wanted to welcome ya home, Sis."

The tap of a cane signalled Ozpin's approach, and the man settled lightly into one of the living room's chairs as Glynda took a position next to the chair, "We are here, Miss Branwen, to find out exactly why you are here."

Raven couldn't help but blink in confusion, "I'm here because Tai's dead, Summer and the girls needed me."

A huff escaped from Glynda, "If that were true then you wouldn't have left them in the first place."

Qrow managed to hold back Raven as she lunged forward, eyes flashing to a brighter red with every word the blonde spoke, "Calm down, Sis, Glynda's just being her usual cheery self."

A snarl emerged from the raven-haired woman, "I will not be lectured by the woman who couldn't be bothered to raise her own child," Glynda's face registered a moment of shock which caused a bark of laughter to emerge from Raven, "What? You think we all didn't know about your little lovechild with Ironwood?"

Glynda let out a growl but she was silence as Ozpin held up a hand, "Qrow, let go of your sister." As soon as she was released the spectacled man gestured to the nearby couch, "Please, Raven, I promise you we are only here to talk."

Raven gave him a terse nod as she took a seat, glancing at the collection of individuals irritably, "Well, talk then."

Leaning forward Ozpin rested both hands on the top of his cane, "Raven, what is the last thing you remember?"

Blinking in confusion at the question Raven cautiously answered, "I left for Vacuo, Qrow was there to see me off."

Ozpin's gaze shifted over to Qrow who gave a small nod, "That was six years ago, Sis, you don't remember anything else?"

Dark hair shifted as she shook her head, "No, just flashes of a strange room, a woman's voice occasionally, but it never sticks." Letting out a sigh she looked at her former headmaster, "I can't even recall what the mission was that you sent me on, which I suppose is why you are all here."

Ozpin though pushed himself to his feet, "No, I think it might be better for all involved if we leave things as they are." Glynda began to sputter but a look quieted the woman, "Summer could use the help, and Raven is certainly capable of keeping them better protected from here than we are from Beacon."

Ozpin gave her a small nod, "It is good to have you back, Raven," and with that he walked out of the door, calling back to Glynda as he went, "Come now, Glynda, we have this semester's transcripts to go through."

Glynda followed after him, grumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, "You mean I have this semesters transcripts to go through." Leaving the twins behind, only for Qrow to offer his flask to her with a grin.

"Need a drink, Sis."

RWBY

Pyrrha was still coming down from the high of her first victory, having fled to the dressing room so that she could have a few moments to compose herself. Mother had always said that a Nikos was never too emotional in public. They were a controlled family, and through that control they claimed victory.

The sound of clapping caused her to snap her attention upward, and a man she faintly recognized wearing a dark navy suit approached her, "You put on quite a show out there, girl, and you kept your semblance under wraps the whole time too." A predatory smirk pulled at the man's lips, "Color me impressed."

He strode towards her before sitting down across from her on one of the benches, "You might be wondering why I'm here, and the answer is that I want you to realize that your Mother's path isn't the only one open to you." His deft fingers drew her attention as he talked, and she noticed him slipping a small shiny object into the old wooden bench he rested upon.

"There is only one rule that matters in life, Pyrrha, and that is that the weak die and the strong survive. My brother forgot that lesson once we left Vacuo, but I think that somehow you picked it up all on your own."

Her eyes were momentarily drawn to the man's crimson hair, tied back loosely behind his head, as it swayed with his head's movement, the hair itself was an almost identical shade to Pyrrha's own. All the while his green eyes glinted with intelligence as he smirked down at his niece, the younger girl couldn't help but be unnerved by the presence of the man she had only before seen in pictures.

"Um, thank you?" She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but was quickly rescued as her mother entered the room, "Pyrrha what is taking so lon-" Bellona Nikos came to an abrupt stop as she spotted the other person in the room, "Aima, what are you doing here?" Pyrrha didn't fail to notice how her Mother protectively moved in front of the her, but her Uncle simply laughed as he made his way to his feet, "I'm just congratulating my niece on her victory, you must be proud that she managed to avoid being infected by my Brother's mediocrity."

Giving a loose shrug of his shoulders the man made his way to the door, one hand upon the knob before he turned back to look at Pyrrha, "Remember, Pyrrha, don't let yourself get dragged down by the weak lest you end up like your dear Mother."

Bellona let out a growl, "Leave, Aima, before I call the authorities."

Aima pushed the door open, but not before shouting over his shoulder, "Why don't you do it anyway, I could use some fun!"

It was during this time that Pyrrha tapped into her semblance, and moved the object that had been hidden in her Uncle's seat over to her. It was a small, coin like object, but as she chanced a look at it she found that it was unfamiliar to any currency she had ever seen before.

Slipping the metal disk into her sash she allowed her mother to lead her out of the dressing room and towards the, still, cheering crowds.

RWBY

Summer walked into the house, and was soon aware of her house guest as she heard the twin cries of, "Uncle Qrow!" resound from inside the structure.

Sighing she made her way deeper inside, only to hear the patter of feat and the glimpse of a cape before the backdoor slammed. Her eyes drifted to the empty living room, and her eyes narrowed as she saw her destroyed table, "Raven, what happened to my table."

She frowned when no response came, and a quick search of the house found that her old partner was sitting on the bed they had shared the past week.

Raven's crimson eyes glanced up, somewhat glassy from what Summer assumed was liquor, "Is it true?"

Frowning Summer tilted her head slightly, "Is what true, Raven?"

Raven surged forward, one hand locking down on Summer's right wrist as the other pulled up her sleeve, "That you maimed yourself!"

Summer shoved the other woman away causing Raven to tumble to the floor, but not before the ugly scar that marred her right arm was revealed, "That is none of your business, and it wasn't Qrow's to tell you about either!"

Summer took a few angry steps away from Raven before sighing and helping the struggling woman back to the bed, her voice was soft as an explanation began to spill unbidden from her lips, "After you," she paused as she tried, unsuccessfully, to keep the anger from her voice, "left me. I was in a bad place."

Sitting down next to Raven Summer continued, "I took every job I could, and when I wasn't hunting down Grimm I was trying to get wasted so I wasn't thinking about you." She drew in a shaky breath before she continued, "I was on a mission close to check out a village that had been founded in the Sanus mainland, Qrow had tagged along too which was odd but I didn't mind the company for a change. When we arrived, everything was fine as their local tower had been damaged in a freak storm." The smaller woman gave a slight shrug, "No harm, no foul, right?"

"They offered us a room at the inn, and I had some of the local refreshment to help me sleep while Qrow was off doing something else." An explosive exhale emerged from Summer, "Then the Grimm attacked."

"There were so many of them, Raven. Even some I had only read about, and they just kept picking off the villagers no matter how many of them I took out." Summer's left hand shifted to rest upon the scarred area of her right arm, "I gave into the silver, fully let it take over."

Summer jumped slightly as Raven placed a hand on her leg, but she took what slight conform the taller woman was offering, "Everything became a blur after that, just a silver haze as I used Durandal to carve my way through the Grimm, and then I see Qrow and there is this girl behind him."

Raven frowns, and Summer can tell that she has figured out that something terrible happened next, "And the silver, Raven, it hates this girl. Qrow tries to talk to me, but he quickly realized that I'm not in control. He tried to stop it, me, but well I was always a better fighter."

Summer could feel her body shaking as she approached the conclusion of her story, "I killed her, Raven. She didn't even seem to realize what was happening, just watched as I, someone she thought was there to protect her, took her life."

Her grip tightened on the scar tissue, "As soon as the girl died there was this strange energy that leapt skyward, and as soon as it was gone the silver went back to sleep." Tears trickled down her cheek as she remembered starring at Qrow's beaten body, along with the girl she had killed, "So, I took Durandal, and I slashed the tendons on my sword arm."

"I made sure my aura never healed it properly," a broken smile formed on Summer's lips, "So next time I lose myself, someone will be able to stop me."

She found herself suddenly enveloped in an embrace from the crimson eyed woman, and Summer cursed herself as she let herself take comfort from the familiarity of the other woman as she began to sob, "Why is it that I always end up crying around you?"

Raven gave her a tighter squeeze before answering, "Because, you need someone that you can cry around."

They stayed that way for sometime, before Raven hesitatingly whispered, "I'm sorry, for everything."

RWBY

Pyrrha had retired to her room as quickly as she could, discarding her gear as quickly as possible as she changed into a far comfier set of clothes. Her mother insisted that the look was traditional for the Nikos family, but she also insisted that once Pyrrha was older she would add her own elements to the garb.

A perfect fusion of the past and the future as her Mother put it.

Pyrrha just thought it was unpragmatic.

She pulled out the small object that her Uncle had left behind, frowning as she ran her fingers along the unfamiliar designs that was etched into the metal disc's outer edges. They were jagged, and far harsher than any language she had ever seen before, but her curiosity was piqued and so she began to look for any information about the text that she could find on her scroll.

Her eyes lit up as she remembered him mentioning Vacuo, and going off that hunch she began to delve into the languages of the region.

The thrill of discovery leapt through her as she found a match to the object in her hand, and holding the scroll in front of her Pyrrha read the article out loud, "A coin of the waste, these coins were some of the last manufactured by the Kingdom of Vacuo before the fall and are given to those who survive the trial of the wastes. A Vacuan is honor bound to accept such a trinket in exchange for a service, to show respect to one who has completed the trial."

Holding the trinket up she spun it slowly in her hands, "I wonder what happens if I use it?" Shrugging she slipped the coin into her nightstand before returning to her scroll.

The coin puzzle answered, she began to delve into her Uncle's past. She had seen him in a handful of pictures in her Father's study and he and Dad did share a resemblance to each other that was true, but until today she had never recalled meeting him.

"Aima Arche, native of Vacuo who moved to Mistral to attend Haven academy where he became a celebrated champion of the Windpath arena. Aima was subjected to criminal charges when during the thirty first Vytal tournament he engaged in a 'to the blood' match with Qrow Branwen. The match was only halted when Bellona Nikos engaged with him, though neither the authorities, or Mistress Nikos, were able to subdue him before he fled the scene."

"He is believed to have fled to Vacuo, where he formed a mercenary company that operates in the lawless regions of the Kingdom known as the Dragon's Teeth. The company is based around the idea that the strong excel, while the weak are routinely sent out into the wastes with no provisions or gear."

She shook her head at her findings, and she found her hands had started trembling now that she realized just how close she was to a man that dangerous.

Resolving to put the incident out of her mind she redonned her gear and made her way down to the training area outside, physical exertion and discipline would make her forget all about her Uncle and the coin.

RWBY

Grimm howled down below as Salem stood in front of one of her fortresses' windows that overlooked the desolate beauty of the land below. This land had been laid to waste when the moon had cracked so long ago, yet while the rest of the world had healed it seemed as though the earth itself rejected the presence of life here.

"You've found her?"

Hazel gave a small nod of his head, "She's with the woman with the silver eyes."

A heavy silence filled the air as Salem considered this information, "Go to Patch, find out why our Raven is there."

RWBY

Credits Song: Pieces by Cloé Beaudoin

AN: Well, I won't lie that this story was originally designed to be just a short story before I was going to move on to another subject.

Of course, my own overactive mind has a different plan in mind, so while I plan on this story ending in the relative future I'll probably do a sequel that begins around the same time as the regular show.

Which necessitates me changing everyone so that I'm doing something new, the first glimpse of that of course being Pyrrha here.

Thanks to everyone who showed interest in the first chapter.


End file.
